


Oceans Apart

by alice_time



Category: Tidelands
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - BDSM, Fluff, Gen, More tags to be added, Non-Sexual Submission, Sibling Bonding, Spanking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-09-23 03:16:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17072486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alice_time/pseuds/alice_time
Summary: At sixteen Calliope "Cal" McTeer is still in juvie. She gets classed as a submissive and her case is reopened. The angry teen wants one thing, revenge.Meanwhile, she's put under her brother's guardianship. Her brother who happens to be a smuggler.Can Auggie keep Cal from burning something else down? And how exactly will the siblings handle Cal's budding new powers as she discovers her siren heritage?





	1. Chapter 1

Calliope McTeer had spent two long years in juvenile detention. She was expecting another eight years to follow. To have stone walls separating her from the ocean she craved every day she was there.

It was raining, droplets catching on the glass just beyond the bars in her window. Time moved so slowly on days like this. The rain seemed to pause even, catching in the air and sparkling in the silver light just coming from behind the clouds.

“McTeer!”

Cal blinked, and the rain crashed down. She shook her head and turned to the door, eying the guard.

“Classification testing day.”

Cal sighed. She’d been dreading this day. The moment she turned sixteen (which had been celebrated with a battered card from her brother and silence from her mother, par for the course) she knew the day was coming up. The other girls were watching her like a hawk. Waiting. She’d gotten a reputation quickly enough, for being a girl you didn’t mess with. She learned to fight, and fight dirty, if that’s what it took.

If she classed Domme, she’d be back here with the others in gen pop. She wasn’t sure what happened to subs, but the neutrals and the switches tended to come back too. Cal’d been a bit too wrapped up in her own misery to care about anyone else.

Abandoned by her mother, father missing and presumed dead--yeah, that was a lot for a teenager.

Well, and the whole arson and manslaughter thing.

And her mother having talked her into committing the arson and manslaughter. And...it was a lot.

She stood up, slipped on her shoes and waited for the guard to open the door and beckon her out. Cal walked out of the cell, following the directions to the Dynamic Services office. Cal’s palms always sweat when she got near it. She knew what she’d class as. At least, she was pretty sure. And it was only going to make things harder.

And she didn't want harder. She wanted to be intimidating. She wanted to just get through the next eight years without any real trouble. She wanted--more than anything--to go home.

The guard didn’t follow her into the office. It was a safe space, supposedly. Filled with soft furniture and painted a soothing color. Not much like the oatmeal walls of the rest of the facility. The Dynamic Affairs rep was a no nonsense woman called Ms. O’Leary, a Domme. She wasn’t mean or anything, but she definitely didn’t have time for shenanigans of any kind.

“Miss McTeer, please take a seat.”

Cal eyed the plush chair being pointed at and sat. It was the most comfortable thing she’d sat on in ages.

“Let’s begin.”

Cal sighed and let the inevitable descend upon her.

***

Auggie McTeer had taken over his father’s business almost the day after he died. And he’d been working to change it since. He didn’t like working with Tidelanders anymore than he had to, and something about Adrielle Cuthbert raised his hackles. Drug smuggling had been lucrative for his family, but he wanted something better. Better for his sister.

It was still smuggling, but selling the pearls and shipwreck relics the Tidelanders passed to him weighed a lot less on his shoulders than drugs. It was even more lucrative in some ways. There were buyers out there for those pieces that wouldn’t touch drugs.

A better class of buyers in many ways, and a bit less dangerous. His boys didn’t care what they were selling, so long as they could pay their rent.

They’d picked up a shipment the night previous, and Auggie had fallen asleep on the living room couch almost the moment he’d gotten back in, in the wee hours of the morning. But the high pitched ringing of his phone had him falling onto the floor with a half awake groan, scrambling for his phone and swearing under his breath.

“McTeer,” he answered gruffly.

“This is the Queensland Dynamic Affairs department, calling on behalf of Calliope McTeer.”

Auggie blinked, rubbing sleep gunk from his eyes and trying to wake up. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. It’s department policy to inform the registered guardian of all submissives when they class while incarcerated.”

“Cal classed as submissive.” He blinked again. He couldn’t imagine his little firecracker sister submitting to anyone. Then again, he knew a lot of pretty firey subs.

“That’s correct, and per guidelines, we’ll be inspecting your residence within the next week to ensure it is a safe environment prior to her release.”

“You’re releasing her?” Auggie felt like he was in a cave, for all the echoing he was doing.

“That’s correct. All cases of submissives are reviewed upon classification and investigators uncovered a mistake in the autopsy. Your sister was mostly certainly guilty of arson, but not manslaughter. The DAD therefore petitioned on her behalf. So long as your home and guardianship are deemed suitable, we’ll be releasing her into your care within the month.”

Auggie blinked and would later remember saying something affirmative before hanging up. He stared at the far wall for a long moment.

“Mum is going to flip.”

***

Auggie called in reinforcements to get the house ready before the inspectors visit. Cal’s room had been kept up near the same as it was when she was dragged out of the house two years ago. He always remembered that day. How scared she was. How much she screamed.

How their mother just watched, and said nothing.

He’d inherited the house and the boat, Cal got half, and he’d held it in trust for her. Their mother had left Orphelin Bay, for the best really. If she didn’t want Cal, he’d take over. She was family. His only family left, really.

The house was cleaner than it had been in weeks, the front steps repaired and he’d gotten all of the guns stashed at Colton’s house. The inspection was nerve wracking, but the DAD rep eventually made a sniff in satisfaction and passed him.

He thought he’d have a heart attack.

“All right, Mr. McTeer, you can pick up your sister from the Gold Coast holding center on Friday.”

Three days. Three days and he could bring her home. “Fantastic.”

“We’ll be following up at the two week mark, and then again in two months, six months, there’s a whole schedule here.”

Auggie accepted the paperwork. “Thank you.”

“Good day then.”

Auggie nodded, watching the man leave before turning to Colton, who’d come for support. “She’s coming home.”

“Yeah, and you’re going to have your hands full.” Colton shook his head. “She’s gonna have to go back to school.”

“I know.”

“And you’ve never been a guardian before.”

“I know.” Auggie raked a hand through his curls. “I know. But--she’s my sister.”

“And we’ll all be here for you.” Colton clapped him on the shoulder.

“Thanks.”

Auggie was going to need all the help he could get.

***

Cal stared out the window at the ocean. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen it. It was a memory fuzzed out by death and anger.

Everything had happened so quickly. The second investigation. Being a sub. Getting released into Auggie’s care. Today, today she was finally going home. She wasn’t sure what to expect. She wasn’t sure what Auggie was going to expect from her. How their dynamic would change.

Things between them were already different. How much more different would it get?

And she was angry. So angry. Someone had framed her for manslaughter, what else was she supposed to feel?

At least, for the first time in years, she wasn’t wearing a prison uniform. The jeans and t-shirt weren’t hers, she didn’t fit into her old clothes, she’d grown too much. At least there was food in the waiting room, she appreciated that.

She fussed with the bracelet she’d been given. A plain bit of stainless steel that had a pressure mechanism and her name engraved on the surface with a small s next to it. She spun it around her wrist with a sigh.

_Knock knock._

Cal looked up and toward the door, now open, where Auggie was standing, a smile on his face.

“Auggie!” She leapt out of her chair and rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him.

Auggie returned the hug, lifting her off her feet with a soft grunt of exertion. “You got big, bug.”

“I missed you,” Cal whispered into his chest.

“I missed you too.” He kissed the top of her head, smoothing her curls. “You ready to go home?”

“Hell. Yes.”

Auggie grinned.

“Hey, Cal.” Colton waved from the hallway.

“Colton.” She took a step back from Auggie and waved back. “You got taller.”

“Thanks.”

“All right, Mr. McTeer,” The DAD rep who was also in the hallway nodded. “You can take Calliope home. We’ll see you in two weeks.”

“Got it. Thanks again. Come on Cal, I suspect we need to go shopping on the way home. Unless you want to be wearing my hand-me downs.” He gave her a measured look. “Three, four inches?”

“Five,” she replied with more than a touch of sass.

“Wow.” He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Let’s go.”

Cal could only smile. Finally, finally, she was going home.

And then, she was going to find out who framed her. Find out why her mum hated her and get revenge.

Sweet, sweet revenge.

***

“Wow, the house looks great.” Cal looked around, setting a few shopping bags on the couch. “Doing well for yourself?”

“Pretty well,” Auggie replied. “I got your room cleaned up a bit, all your things are still in there. Figure you can go through it as you like.”

“Thanks.”

“And I got food,” Colton added. “Because your brother doesn’t eat at home, ever.”

“Thanks, Colton.” Cal smiled. “Anything will be better than prison food.”

“I bet.” Colton set down his own haul of shopping bags. “If you want to shower or whatever, I’ll get some food made.”

“Yes,” Cal exclaimed. She’d missed showering without someone monitoring her.

“And then we should go through all the rules,” Auggie said, slightly tentative. “From the paperwork and, you know, house rules and stuff.”

Cal bit her lip before nodding. “Yeah, sure.” She grabbed a couple bags. “Towels still in the same place?”

“Sure are.”

“Great.” She bounded up the stairs, leaving Colton and Auggie alone amongst a sea of shopping bags.

“She’s going to hate having rules,” Colton guessed. “I mean, she just got out of prison, she’s gonna want to raise a little hell.”

“I talked to one of the councilors about it,” Auggie said. He had a card and a number to call whenever he needed to. If he needed to. He was hoping to figure it all out on his own. He even bought some books. “I just have to set boundaries and enforce those boundaries. She’ll settle down...eventually.”

Colton snorted. “Good luck with that.”

“Thanks,” Auggie muttered.

Meanwhile, Cal was eying her only slightly changed room. She tossed bags on the bed and dragged out new underwear, a sports bra, shirt and sweats, before grabbing a towel and heading for the shower.

The water made her feel more like herself. She wanted to head to the beach as soon as she could, or just head to the jetty behind the house and dip her toes in the water. She washed the scent of industrial soap off her, reveling in the peachy scent of the soap she’d found in the shower. Given how new it was, she suspected Auggie had bought with her in mind.

Clean, hair damp, she padded downstairs to find Colton in the kitchen and Auggie at the kitchen table with paperwork all around him.

“Feeling better?” Auggie asked.

“Nice to not smell like hospital soap.”

“I bet.” He nodded at the chair next to him.

Cal bit her lip and sat down, kicking her feet a bit.

“So...you classed as submissive.”

“You didn’t.” Cal noted Auggie’s necklace, a long black leather strand holding a silver tag stamped with a stylized D.

“Turned out for the best though, seeing how it means you got to come home.”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’m happy to be home.”

Auggie smiled. “I’m happy you’re home too.”

Cal took a deep breath. “So...what are the rules?”

“Pretty basic stuff here.” He gestured at the papers. “I have to set a curfew and you aren’t allowed to drink or smoke. No breaking the law. That sort of thing.”

“Oh.”

“Curfew will be eleven on weekends, and ten on school nights.” He pushed a piece of paper toward her. “I filled it all in here, so we’ll put it on the fridge.” The counselor had suggested posting the rules to make transitioning easier for Cal. Auggie would take all of the suggestions he could get. “You’ve got some time before the new term, and we’ll take it slow. Okay?”

“Okay.” Cal frowned. “You know...school isn’t just going to be easy. Everyone. Everyone is going to say things. You know they will.”

“We’ll handle it,” Auggie put a hand on hers. “I won’t let anyone hurt my sister.”

Cal’s stomach fluttered a little. She wasn’t used to this. It was strange how quickly you could forget how it felt to have someone comfort you.

“Other rules,” Auggie went on. “You aren’t allowed to buy gasoline, or have matches or lighters in your room until you turn eighteen. Which means you can’t drive until you turn eighteen.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Sorry, Cal. Part of the release agreement.”

She sighed. “So I have to what, walk around?”

“You’re bike is still in the garage,” Auggie said. “And I’ll take you whenever I can.” Auggie had a feeling this was going to be an issue at some point. “And you can’t drive the boats.”

Cal rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

“You aren’t allowed to leave the bay without me or another adult guardian. That’s up for review in six months, if you’re settling well, they might relax it. It’s a bit like parole.”

“Figures they still want to put strings on me.”

“I know, it sucks, but it sucks less than you being in prison, right?”

“Yeah.” Cal nodded. “It’s better than prison.”

“Just keep that in mind, okay? I don’t have a lot of rules for the house. You know there’s a gun in the house, I don’t want you anywhere near it. I know Dad taught you to shoot, but that’s a no go from me, clear?”

“Clear.”

“Good. One other thing, you steer well clear of the Devil’s Tail.”

Cal frowned. “Why would I even want to go there?” It was well known as the Bay’s worst bar.

“Mum bought it.”

She sucked in a sharp breath, fists clenching. “Oh.”

“I’m just warning you, I know you’re pissed at her. You have good reason. But stay away, okay?”

Cal chewed on her lip, staring at the table.

“Calliope.”

She startled slightly. “Okay.”

“Dinner,” Colton said. “Hope everyone likes fish.”

“It’s gonna be okay,” Auggie promised. “You’ll see Cal.”

Yeah. Everything would be okay.

Once she figured out who framed her. And maybe burned down her mum’s new bar. Or something. Something that wouldn’t land her back in prison.

Or if it could, she had to make sure she didn’t get caught this time.

Auggie or no, she wasn’t going to let this go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal tries to settle back into life in the Bay, but her temper gets the better of her. 
> 
>  
> 
> *Ware, spanking.

Cal woke up in her own room for the first time in more than two years. She had a moment of panic. Heart pounding before she remembered.  _ I got out. It’s okay.  _ She licked her lips and took a deep breath to steady herself. 

The smell of coffee was drifting up from the kitchen. Coffee--toast. She ducked into the bathroom before heading downstairs. 

“Morning, bug,” Auggie said. “Sleep okay?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “Is that coffee?” 

“Yup.” He smiled. “You can have a cup  _ with _ milk.” 

Not quite awake, Cal didn’t argue with his overprotectiveness rearing its head so early. He  _ was _ a Dom, the nurture instinct was strong. She’d read some literature on the subject while she was at the holding facility in Gold Coast. They also had videos. 

Which were probably shot sometime in the early eighties and incredibly dated. 

Cal got her coffee--with milk--and some toast with marmite. Auggie didn’t actually like marmite, so she knew it was there for her. It was nice that he was trying to make her feel at home. 

“I have to work today,” Auggie said, sitting down across from her with his own breakfast. “I don’t like leaving you alone so soon, do you want Colton to stay with you? Or will you be okay here?”

Cal considered. Being alone was an opportunity she didn’t know she wanted to pass up. “I’ll be okay, I don’t want to get in the way.” 

Auggie smiled. “You’ll never be in the way.” He grabbed a phone from the other side of the table. “This is for you. My number, Colton’s, and a few others are preprogrammed. If you need anything, just call. Okay?”

“Thanks.” Cal took the phone. “I will.”

“And it’s a given, you don’t leave the property, okay? Not yet.”

“Yes, Auggie.” 

“Good. I’ll be back before dinner and there’s sandwich makings in the fridge.” 

Cal remained agreeable and pleasant, saying goodbye to Auggie. She waited until the truck was well out of view before heading upstairs and changing out of her pajamas. She wasn’t sure where she was going just yet, but she wanted to go  _ somewhere _ . Possibly to the Devil’s Tail to confront her mother. 

Or something. First though, she padded out onto the dock. It was one of the last places she’d seen her dad. There was a small boat at the end of the dock, a familiar sight. She wanted to see the Calliope, the boat that shared her name. 

The sharpish thud of footsteps on wood caught her attention, but before she could turn, something was dropped over her, fabric? Cal screamed and lashed out, arms wrapped around middle and then her legs as she tried to kick. 

“Put me down! Let me go!” She thrashed and wriggled as she was carried. She felt it when they got into a boat, heard the sound of a motor--an outboard, she thought. The boat was moving then, speeding away from the safety of the dock. She didn’t stop moving though, even as they wrapped something heavy around her feet. It was cold--metal probably. 

She wasn’t sure how long it had been when the boat finally stopped, drifting without the motor. 

“If you don’t let me go, my brother will kill you!” she snarled. 

No one responded, but they did lift her out of the bottom of the boat. 

_ No _ . She screamed as they tossed her into the water. She sank, and the fabric unwound, giving her a terrifying look at the water around her and the thick chain around her feet. 

_ No.  _

She tried to get the chain off, struggling as she finally stopped on the sand and rock bottom, the sky too far above her.  _ No. No. No.  _ She didn’t want to die like this. She didn’t want to give up. 

But her lungs were burning for breath and the chains wouldn’t come free. 

She couldn’t stop herself from trying to breathe in, from the water burning as it rushed inside--it hurt more than anything had ever hurt before. 

_ No.  _

But then, something changed. Something warm spread through her. Her lungs stopped burning, and the water felt like air. Her limbs felt stronger. She went for the chain again, finally managing to pull out the metal pin holding it together. Free, she swam back up the surface, taking a breath of proper air and trying to get her bearings. 

She hurried to the shore. All she could think of was getting to Auggie. She knew the way to the co-op without even thinking about it, running there without a thought for heading back to the house. She wasn’t safe there, clearly. 

Cal was still wet, and terrified, when she got to the fish processing center. The gate was locked, and she latched onto it. “Auggie!” She shouted. “Auggie!” 

Her brother emerged from the building moments later, confusion written across his face when he got a look at her. “Cal?” He hurried to the gate and unlocked it. “What happened?” 

“Someone tried to drown me. They threw me in the water.” She latched onto him, shaking. 

“It’s okay, I’ve got you.” He quickly picked her up, putting her arms around his neck and carried her inside to his office. “Get towels,” he ordered at someone Cal couldn’t see. All she could do in that moment was cling to him, and cry. 

Colton brought towels as Auggie settled his sister down on the couch in his office, trying to calm her down enough to get information. 

Auggie got her wrapped in towels and sat in his lap, drying her off as best he could while speaking soft, reassuring words even though he was seething inside. Someone had tried to kill his sister. Someone had scared her. Hurt her. 

And he was going to find them. 

“Take your time, sweetie, just tell me what happened.” 

“Was on the jetty, just--looking at the water.” She laid her head on his chest, clinging to him as tight as she could. “They dropped something over me, grabbed me and tossed me into a boat. Outboard motor. Open. I think it was maybe an eight footer?” She took a deep breath. “They put chain around my ankles and dropped me in.” 

Auggie went cold. “How--how did you get out?” 

“I dunno. I was drowning and then...then I got the chain off and I got to the surface.” She didn’t know how to tell him she’d breathed water. She wasn’t even sure if that’s what had happened. Everything was just. It was too much. She felt buzzy and tired and scared. It was better here, with Auggie, but she didn’t want to be scared. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to fight back. 

“It’s okay.” He rubbed her back. “It’s okay.” He glanced up at Colton. “Send boys to the house.” 

“You got it.” 

“We’ll find out who did this, Cal. I promise. You’re safe now. You’re safe now.” 

Obviously, he wouldn’t leave her alone again. 

He would find these people. He’d put them in the ground. 

No one touched a McTeer. 

***

Auggie had cameras installed along the house perimeter before nightfall, and new locks on all the doors. Cameras at the jetty and the driveway. 

The boys agreed to take shifts watching the house, and Colton just packed a bag and slept on the couch. 

Cal, meanwhile, was itching. She hated being stuck in the house. It was bigger than a prison cell, but to a sixteen-year-old only recently released, it didn’t feel much different. And she was never alone. At least, not while she was awake. And she was pretty sure Auggie was sleeping outside her room at night. 

He was paranoid. 

But he wasn’t home  _ all _ the time. Today, for instance, it was just her and Colton, who had drifted off on the couch while listening to a footie match. She felt a touch of guilt leaving him there, but she needed to answer a question. 

If anyone was going to try and kill her, she was pretty damn sure she knew who it was. So she grabbed her bike and pedalled out to the pier. The Devil’s Tail was where it always was. She left the bike on a rack nearby and headed into the bar through the back. She had a lot of memories of this place. Of her mother, blitzed out of her mind having to be picked up and taken home to sober up. 

The office was empty. 

Cal took a breath and headed out into the bar proper, striding up the long counter. She didn’t spot one of her brother’s men, Bill, hanging out in a corner booth. She was focused only on one person. 

Her mum, polishing out a beer glass. 

“Hey, Mum. Surprised to see me?” Cal slammed a hand down on the counter. 

“Calliope.” Rosa McTeer’s eyes widened slightly. “Heard you were out.” 

“So you sent a couple goons to kill me then?” Cal leaned forward. “Real motherly of you.” 

“If someone tried to kill you, I’m sure they had a reason.” 

Cal shook her head. “You are such a bitch.” 

Bill took that moment to intervene, putting a hand on Cal’s shoulder. “Aren’t you supposed to be at home, Cal?” 

She glanced up at him. “I’m not going anywhere.” She shook off his hand and climbed up onto the bar. “I’m sure everyone here would like to know that my own mother hates me and probably tried to kill me.” 

“Calliope,” Bill warned, “Get down.” 

“I’ll call the cops,” Rosa said. 

“You do that,” Cal replied. “I can tell them about the attempted murder. Or the fact that you framed me up. Convinced me to burn that house down. I bet you knew he was dead inside? Didn’t you? Framed me up for his death.” Cal kicked a set of glasses off the counter. 

“Cal, get down.” 

  
“You should listen to Bill,” Rosa said. 

Bill had an ace up his sleeve though. He’d texted Auggie the moment he spotted his wayward sister. Cal though, wasn’t listening. She knocked another set of glasses off the bar. 

“You’re behaving like a child.” 

“I  _ am _ a child!” Cal snarled. “Maybe you forgot that when you set me up to take the fall for the sergeant’s death!” 

“What the hell is going on?” 

Orphelin Bay was a small town, and Auggie hadn’t been far when Bill texted. 

He stood in the doorway, eyeing his sister, the broken glass, Bill, Rosa. 

“Calliope McTeer, you get your ass down from there right now!” Auggie strode forward, kicking aside some larger pieces of broken glass as he went. 

Cal stared down at him. “You know it was her! Who else would want me dead?” 

Auggie took a deep breath and grabbed her by the legs, letting the rest of her fall over his shoulder. “We’re going home.” 

“Put me down!” Cal thumped him the back and kicked. 

Auggie didn’t blink, he swatted her hard across the rear. “You settle down  _ right now _ .” 

Cal froze. 

“Thanks for the tip, Bill. Rosa, send me the bill.” Auggie nodded at his mother and carried his sister out of the bar. 

***

Auggie kept a firm hold of his sister as he marched her into the house. Colton was awake, and he did not look happy. 

“I’m sorry, Auggie. I only dropped off for a minute.” 

“It’s fine, she’s the one who should know better.” He fixed Cal with a sharp look. “I need to calm down, so you’re going to the corner.” 

“I am  _ not _ .” Cal shook her head. 

“Oh yes you are.” He marched her to an open corner in the dining room and pointed her at the wall. “You stay right here.” 

Cal took a step back, which only earned her two sharp swats. “Ow!” 

“Stay,” he said quietly, but his voice was full of Dominance. 

Cal froze. “Yes, sir.” 

“Good girl.” He squeezed her shoulder and left her there, taking a seat at the table. Auggie focused on his breathing. He needed to not be furious. He had to be calm. Had to be fair. Cal was still adjusting and all. She had a right to be angry. She did. 

Didn’t mean she could go off and get herself into  _ more _ trouble though. 

Cal was starting to fidget the longer Auggie left her there. She’d never been put in the corner before. This was all so new, everything was new, but her classification was something she just wanted to toss into the garbage so she could get to what needed to be gotten to. 

Except...there was this deep pit of guilt in her stomach the moment she’d laid eyes on Auggie in the bar. Seen the disappointment on his face. Felt the disappointment in his voice. The submissive in her was telling her how awful she was. How could she do that to him? How could she disappoint him like that? Hormones clashed inside her, the guilt dragging at her. Making her stomach twist and her heart ache. 

She didn’t want to be like this. She wanted to be like before. Before puberty. Before classification. Why couldn’t she be a Dom? Anything but a sub. Anything that wouldn’t make her feel like she was falling into a sticky deep pit of nothing just because she’d done something against the rules. 

“Come here, Cal.” 

Her brother’s voice broke through her chaotic thoughts and she glanced around her, finally spotting him in the living room on the couch. 

“Come here.” He pointed at the floor in front of his feet.

“What are you gonna do?” 

“You know damn well what I’m going to do, Calliope.”

She did, but that didn’t mean she  _ wanted _ him to. “ _ Auggie _ ,” she whined. 

“One.” 

Oh god, he was counting. 

“You don’t want me to get to three, Calliope.” 

She bit her lip and took a few, haltering, steps forward. She didn’t see Colton anywhere. Just Auggie. Waiting. 

As she passed the front door though, she couldn’t quite help herself, she ran for it, tugging the door open. Which was, of course, where Colton was waiting. He shook his head at her. Auggie grabbed her around the middle and carried her to the couch, sitting and then putting her face down over her lap before she could squeak in protest. 

“No more running away, Cal.” He laid down four hard smacks. “You’re on the verge of Drop, don’t think I can’t see how miserable you are, and I’m not going to let you hurt yourself just to avoid getting a smacking when you did something wrong. And you know you did.” 

“ _ Auggie _ , please.” She bucked in his lap. “I don’t want it!” 

“Maybe not, but you need it and I’m your guardian, and I’m going to make sure you get what you need.” 

He started spanking in earnest, Cal’s cotton shorts providing little protection. She kicked her legs, pushing at the couch with her arms. Auggie paused to get hold of her wrists and resumed chastising her. 

“When I tell you not to leave the house, that’s what I expect you to do. When I tell you not to go the Devil’s Tail. To steer clear of Rosa, that’s what I expect you to do.” Each smack cracked sharp against Cal’s rear, punctuating his scolding. “Colton called to tell me you were missing and all I could think was that you’d been taken again. That maybe you were dead in a ditch.

“But no, you just upped and decided to go throw a tantrum at the bar. Put yourself in even more danger, because you can’t keep your temper. That’s not acceptable, Calliope. It’s never going to be. You understand me?”

Cal shook her head, not really in defiance, but because she was trying not to cry. 

Auggie laid six hard swats to the back of her exposed thighs. 

“Yes, yes I understand!” 

“Good, because the next time you pull some crazy stunt like this, I’m not going to be so easy on you.” He continued his pace of smacks and Cal was stuck with building heat she couldn’t escape from. 

And his words had cut deep. She hadn’t even considered Auggie’s feelings before she headed out to the Devil’s Tail. All she’d been thinking of was herself. Her own anger. Her own need for answers. 

“I can’t lose you,” Auggie went on. 

Cal started to cry, heavy, heavy sobs that stuck in her throat and shook her to her core. But the pit of guilt inside her was draining. Flowing away. 

“That’s it now, sweetie,” he said gently. “Almost done. You’re doing good now.”

“I’m sorry, Auggie,” she cried. “I’m sorry.” 

“I know, almost done.” 

All she wanted in that moment was for it to be over so Auggie would hold her and comfort her. She was just, sorry, and tired and still scared really, about what had happened. It was all too much and maybe she’d done this stupid thing because she needed Auggie to show her where her boundaries were. Show her he was going to be the rock steady foundation her life needed. 

Before she knew it, it was over, and she  _ was _ up in his lap, snuggled next to his chest. He rubbed her back, rocking a little. 

“It’s okay, I forgive you, baby sister. It’s okay.” 

Cal wasn’t sure if this level of comfort and security was entirely worth the horrible fire still banking on her ass, but it  _ was _ nice. She felt better than she had in a long time. A very long time. 

“I’m going to find out who tried to kill you. I’m going to protect you. You just have to trust me, can you do that?” 

“Yes, sir. I trust you.” 

“Good girl.” 

***

“So. She’s a Tidelander after all.” Adrielle Cuthbert hung up her phone and handed it to Dylan, waiting patiently next to her. “Bring her to me.” 

“Yes, madame.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal goes to school and reunites with one old friend and makes a possible new one. 
> 
> Auggie is still adjusting to being a parent/brother/guardian.

The first DAD visit went well enough, which had Auggie relaxing a bit, and there were no new attacks on Cal, which was good but also suspicious. He couldn’t think why someone would have tried to kill her. Competitors would be a normal first thought, someone trying to get to him. 

But they would have acted again, sooner. If it was Rosa, which he wasn’t entirely sure it wasn’t, perhaps she’d be scared off now that Cal had survived the first attempt. Still, he was nervous the day Cal was supposed to go back to school. They’d already had a bit of a brawl because Cal hadn’t wanted to go. 

She was sitting on a sore behind, courtesy of Auggie after she chucked a very heavy vase at Auggie’s head. 

“I’ll pick you up from school,” Auggie said, getting out of the truck to escort her inside. “Three sharp.” 

“Yes, Auggie.” She shut the truck door hard, shouldering her back pack. 

“Try not to get into any trouble today.” 

Cal rolled her eyes. “It’s the  _ first _ day.” 

“So let’s make it a good one, that’s all I’m saying.” 

Cal sighed, setting her focus on the school doors. She tugged a bit on her sleeve. She hated being back in a uniform. School uniform. Prison uniform. It was all bull shit. They’d arrived a bit early, there was some paperwork or something. She had to get her schedule. Her expectations were very low, she was really just shooting for flying below the radar. 

But that was probably a tall order. 

Mrs. Jessup was still manning the desk in the front office and she eyed Cal the moment she entered. 

“Miss McTeer.” There was a whole lot of judgement in that voice. 

“Mrs. Jessup.” Cal sighed. There had to be a way to lobby Auggie successfully for her to be homeschooled. “Good to see you again.” 

“Mrs. Jessup,” Auggie put on the charm. “Did you get a new hair cut? You look ten years younger.” 

There weren’t many women in Orphelin Bay who didn’t at least blush when Auggie batted his eyes and smiled. Mrs. Jessup was not immune. 

“Auggie McTeer, you haven’t changed a bit. You’ll be Calliope’s guardian then?” 

“Keeping her on the straight and narrow, you bet.” He kept smiling. “Can we get her class schedule, then?”

“Of course.” She turned away from the counter to fetch the schedule from her desk. 

Cal sighed. 

“You’ll be fine, bug,” Auggie said, giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the forehead. “Just keep your temper.” 

Cal was fairly sure that was going to be harder than anyone thought. 

***

Cal took a seat in the back of her first class, hair in front of her face. She was going to be invisible, that’s all there was to it. Invisible. 

But the whispers started soon enough. Everyone knew she was there. Everyone knew what she’d done. And sure, she hadn’t  _ killed _ anyone really, the truth and the rumor mill weren’t exactly on the same page. 

Throughout the day, the whispers followed, the looks. It was an ever present miasma hanging over her. Lunch time though, was when it came to head. She grabbed a sandwich from the canteen and went for the most out of the way corner of the cafeteria. 

“So, they let murderers out of prison if they’re subs, huh?” 

Cal sighed and ignored the speaker. 

“Maybe she  _ convinced _ them to let her out. Got on her knees, you know.” 

Cal clenched her jaw. 

“Oh yeah, I bet. Maybe she’ll show us what she did if we put her on her knees.” 

_ Okay _ . That was it. She glanced up at the small group that had gathered and stood. “You want to find out what I learned in prison? Because I can show you.” 

The ringleader stepped closer to Cal. “All you’re going to show me is respect, bitch.” 

Cal pulled a pen out of her pocket. “I’ll put this pen through your eye, is what I’ll do.” 

“You all need to move on.” A new face joined the group. A little older, but Cal still recognized Corey Welch. He’d gotten tall. “Or I’ll tell her brother you were harassing her, and we’ll see what happens to you then.”

A shudder of uncertainty went through the mob then. 

“You’d think the name McTeer would be enough to scare them off,” an accented voice broke through the pause and a young man Cal didn’t recognize stepped up next to Corey. “I hear he takes people out on his boat when they piss him off. Let’s the water take them.” 

Corey eyed the newcomer and turned back to Cal. “Come on, you can eat with me.” 

“Thanks, Corey.” Cal grabbed her sandwich and walked past the mob. As she did, she looked the ringleader in the eye. “Come at me again, and I’ll kill you.” 

Corey snagged her wrist and hustled her away, the other young man followed them. 

“I’m Dylan,” he introduced himself. “You must be Cal McTeer.” 

“That’s me. I’ve never met you.” 

“I’ve been homeschooled mostly,” he replied. “I live in L’Attente.” 

“You’re a Tidelander.” Cal blinked. “Oh.” 

Dylan smiled. “Don’t hold it against me now.” 

“I’ll try.” Cal glanced at Corey. “Nice to see you again.” 

He smiled. “You too. I missed you.” 

“Thanks.” Cal couldn’t quite help a slight flush. She’d always sort of fancied him, and having him tell those guys off was nice. Though, the threat he’d made was a bit confusing. Since when was Auggie dangerous? He was a fisherman, sure, but that didn’t seem to explain the reaction from the mob. 

Which, as if she didn’t have enough to worry about. 

At least the rest of lunch passed by without incident, though with plenty of slightly awkward conversation. She felt a little better though, than she had when the day started. Corey didn’t seem to care at all that she’d been gone, or why, he just seemed happy that she was back. 

Dylan was a little stranger, but she chalked that up to him being a Tidelander. They were well known for being weird, but she’d never heard of one coming to school, they all tended to school themselves. 

He was in her next class though, and he sat next to her. “You should come up to L’Attente sometime, it’s a peaceful sort of place. No one will judge you for your past.” 

“Not sure if Auggie would let me,” she replied. 

“Does Auggie have to know everywhere you go?” Dylan tilted his head. 

“Auggie seems to think so.” She couldn’t help a touch of bitterness there. “He’s got me on a short leash.” 

“New guardians can be like that.” Dylan tapped his pen against the top of his desk. “This, I understand.” 

“I don’t see a sub-band on your wrist.” 

“Switch,” he replied. “Don’t wear one everyday, but I have one in my bag. My guardian can be overprotective too. Adrielle, I think you’d like her.” 

“I’ll think about it.” 

Dylan smiled. “I have a motorcycle, so you wouldn’t have to walk.” 

The idea of a motorcycle  _ was _ appealing. Cal smiled. “I’ll definitely think about it.” She licked her lips. 

Dylan’s smile grew. Before he could say anything else, the teacher called the class to order. Cal could feel expectation though, something...energetic about him. Something special. Maybe because he was a Tidelander? Maybe just because he was incredibly attractive, currently Dominant and had a smile that made her knees wobble a bit. 

Auggie didn’t need to know about any of that though. 

Auggie never needed to know anything about which people she thought were hot. Never ever. 

***

“How was school?” 

“Okay.” Okay never meant okay though. Okay was a word loaded with emotions that went unspoken.  _ Okay _ was, it could’ve been worse.  _ Okay _ , was, nothing happened I think I need to tell you. Nothing happened the school will feel the need to report. Just whispers and assholes who thought they could use her classification as a slur. 

No, it was better to just say,  _ okay _ . 

Auggie may or may not have understood what went behind that work, but he didn’t look convinced she was all right. Still, he started the car and drove her home. It was easier to pry things out of her when she’d had a chance to relax a bit. 

“You’re a fisherman, right?” Cal asked suddenly. 

Auggie blinked. “Yeah.” 

“How come the guys at school are all afraid of you then?” She might have to tell him what had prompted his name as a threat, but for the moment, she wanted to know this. 

“Why do you think they’re afraid of me?” 

“Your name came up and some guys got twitchy.” She bit her lip and glanced at him. “So, why are they afraid of you?” 

He took a deep breath, trying to sort out how fragile she was, how much he could tell her, how much he should tell her. 

“Dad was a smuggler. Drugs.” He kept his eyes on the road, unwilling to look at her face. “He worked for the Tidelanders. I took the business over when he died, but I changed things. We shift antiquities now, no drugs. It’s still a bit risky. The old reputation is still there.” He was hoping honesty would be the best road forward. “I was planning on telling you, just, you had a lot to handle already.” 

Cal sat very still, trying to process it all. It explained some things. The hate between the cops and her father. The gun in the house. The late nights. 

“Is that why Dad disappeared?” 

“I dunno, bug. I’ve been trying to find out what happened to Dad. I have. No luck.” He took a deep breath. “I pay the cops to look the other way, and the McTeers have been smuggling for generations.I know that doesn’t make it right, but I’ve done what I can to make it better.” 

Cal processed that for a moment before setting it aside to think about in more depth later. “So...I guess being a criminal runs in the family.” 

“Not for you it doesn’t,” Auggie replied. “I’ll keep working to make our family business clean. You focus on school, getting your education. You can do something with your life.”

“Wow, nice to know the future is pinned on me,” Cal muttered. 

“Meantime, just keep your nose clean. Why’d my name come up at school? You’d think they’d all remember your my sister.” 

Cal shrugged and made a noncommittal sort of sound.

Auggie, recognizing evasion, took a breath. “Calliope?” It was just a touch of Dom, but mostly just brotherly concern. 

“It’s nothing worth talking about. I told you people would say things. They did, but Corey stepped up. It’s fine.”

“Corey Welch?” 

“Yup. Turns out I’ve still got one friend in the Bay.”

“Do we need to talk about the birds and the bees?” Auggie asked. 

“God, no.” They’d finally pulled into the drive and Cal wasted no time jumping out of the truck to hurry into the house. “I’ve got homework,” she called over her shoulder. 

Auggie sighed, head falling forward to thud into the steering wheel. First day of school and she was already attracting his worst fear--Dominant boys. Corey was a polite enough lad, but that didn’t mean Auggie wanted him making advances on his sister. As far as Auggie was concerned, she was going to remain single as a nun until she got out of college. 

That, of course, was not how things typically worked out. He knew that, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t  _ hope _ . 

“I am so in over my head,” he muttered, before following Cal into the house. 


	4. Chapter 4

“Did you finish your homework?” Auggie asked, setting a plate of eggs in front of Cal. It was finally the weekend, and Cal was looking forward to not dealing with anything stressful. Her only goal was pretending that her life was completely normal. 

“Yes.” She eyed the eggs and grabbed the pepper. “Are you fishing today?” 

“I thought we could go to the pier, if you want. Take out the Calliope for a bit.” Auggie settled with his own breakfast into the chair opposite her. “I do want you to have some fun.” 

Cal stuffed a bite of eggs into her mouth to avoid sassing him when he was trying to be nice. She nodded, chewed and swallowed. “Yeah, that sounds fun.” 

“Great.” Auggie grinned. 

Cal smiled back. She  _ did _ want to spend time on the Calliope, and it would be a change from being stuck in the house all the time. 

The open ocean would be a good escape. The rocking of the boat. No one to judge her or whisper about her. Just the blue sky and the water. 

Well, and Auggie. 

***

And, as it turned out, Bill. Bill, who she was pretty sure was armed, and nodded at her when she climbed into the boat. 

“Didn’t know you were coming.” She was still a little annoyed with him about ratting her out to Auggie that day in the bar. 

“Auggie asked me to.” 

“Safety and all,” Auggie remarked, loading a few fishing poles into the boat. “Plus he wanted to fish.” 

“Oh.” Cal headed into the front of the boat, pausing at the doorway where her height had been marked with such care up until her fourteenth birthday. She ran a hand along the surface before shaking her head and settled onto the nearby bench. 

Bill leaned against the wall. “You doing okay in school then?” 

“Fine.” She shrugged. “School is school.” 

“Right.” He drummed his fingers against his thigh.

“Let’s shove off,” Auggie said. 

Bill nodded and headed over to help Auggie with the mooring. 

Cal sighed. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Bill. There was something about him that always bothered her, but she couldn’t peg it down. 

They headed away from the pier to one of Auggie’s fishing spots. Cal had liked fishing with her dad. It was sort of peaceful. It never really mattered if they caught anything. It was just being able to sit with her dad and talk. Steal a sip of beer. 

Sitting there, on the Calliope, with Auggie, she missed her dad with a fierceness she hadn’t felt in a long time. Like a punch to the gut. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself, or have a complete break down right there, but for the first time in a long time she wasn’t in prison--where she refused to cry. Refused to look weak. Her body knew she was safe here. Safe enough that she could let go a bit. 

So when the tears started, they didn’t stop. 

Auggie gently took the pole from her hands and pulled her into his lap. “It’s okay, bug.” 

“I want, Dad,” she cried. 

“I know.” He rubbed her back. “I know. I miss him, too.” 

Bill stayed quiet, unwilling to intrude on their space. 

Once Cal had calmed down, they returned to fishing. Auggie knew his sister well enough to know she’d not want to make a big deal out of this. Giving her something else to focus on would help. But he did press a bottle of water on her, which she took with a small smile. 

Cal hadn’t really grieved for her dad, it’d been too hard. But Auggie was going to give her the chance to do so now. 

They did catch a few fish, and were getting ready to head back to the pier when something knocked into the boat. 

Auggie immediately grabbed Cal, pushing her into the middle of the boat and taking a careful look over the side. 

“Bill, you see anything?” 

“No.” Bill shook his head, peering over the other side. 

The boat rocked again, hard. 

“We should get out of here,” Cal said. 

“Get into the front, Cal.” Auggie said.

Cal nodded and began to move toward the cabin--the boat rocked again, harder and she lost her footing, sliding into the guard rail with a thunk. Bill reached out for her, but before he could grab her, she tipped over the side and into the water. 

“Calliope!” 

Auggie rushed to the side, glancing at Bill. “I can’t swim.” 

Bill took a breath, and jumped in after her. 

Cal found herself pulled down into the water. She panicked, thrashing to get to the surface and failing to get any upward momentum. She couldn’t see anything to keep her from rising, she just couldn’t. 

And then Bill was there. He took hold of her arm and pulled, freeing her from whatever was holding her down. But he didn’t immediately pull her to the surface. He watched her, waited a long moment until she was forced to breathe in the water. 

Just like before, it hurt for the first breathe, before warmth spread through her limbs. Cal stared at Bill, who was breathing water the same as she was. He put a hand on her cheek and then helped her up the surface where Auggie was shouting for them both. 

“Cal! Oh, god, are you okay?” 

“I’m okay!” 

Bill helped her swim to the boat and Auggie helped her climb inside. “We need to get out of here, Auggie.” 

Auggie didn’t argue, wrapping an arm around Cal and hurrying her up into the cabin, starting the engine as quickly as he was able. 

Cal was reeling. She  _ had _ breathed water this time. Bill had too. What did that mean? What the hell was she? 

And what the hell had been in the water? 

She stayed close to Auggie, watching the water for any signs of something out of the ordinary. 

“What was that?” she asked. 

“Best not to think about it,” Auggie replied. 

Bill grunted. “We both know what it was.” 

“What?” Cal asked again. 

“We’ll talk about it when we get back on land,” Auggie said. 

“We’ll have to,” Bill said. “Your sister is a Tidelander herself.” 

Auggie’s eyes widened, he looked at Bill and then Cal. “That’s--what are you talking about?” 

“She’s a Tidelander, Auggie.” 

Cal shook her head. “What the hell are you talking about?” 

“We’ll talk later, just sit tight.” Auggie sped up the boat, and tried to steel himself for another difficult conversation. 

***

“What the hell is going on?” Cal was somewhat drier now, and confronted Bill and Auggie in the kitchen. 

“Sit down, Cal.” 

“No, I’m not sitting down. I want to know what Tidelanders have to do with--breathing water. Because that happened. Pretty sure it happened that time those people tried to drown me too, but this time I’m sure. And so did he!” She pointed at Bill. “So again, what the hell?” 

“You’ve heard the stories about the Bay, I know you have.” Auggie took a breath. “About creatures in the water. Sirens.” 

“Those are stories.” 

“Not exactly,” Bill said. “You and me, we’re proof of that. The Tidelanders too. We are the children of those creatures and the men they pull into the water.”

Cal swallowed. “This is insane. I’m--I’m not some mermaid thing!” She shook her head sharply. “This is fucking bullshit.” 

“Calliope,” Auggie warned, “I know you’re upset, but I need you to take it down a notch.”

“So, what, you work with a bunch of half-human half-fish people? And they all live in a weird commune?” 

“We’re not half fish,” Bill said. “We’re half-siren, whatever they are, I don’t know. What you are, what I am, well--Tidelander is the name we chose for ourselves. Breathing water is just the beginning. You have gifts. You need to learn to control them.” He took a breath. “You must have noticed water behaving strangely around you.”

Cal swallowed. “I--I mean, maybe? I thought it was all in my head.” 

Auggie sighed. “You can teach her, Bill, right? I don’t want her in L’Attente. Adrielle…” He looked Cal in the eyes. “You stay away from Adrielle Cuthbert, all right? She’s dangerous.” 

Feeling a bit contrary, Cal couldn’t help spitting out, “Dylan doesn’t think so.” 

“Dylan?” Bill raised his eyebrows. “How do you know Dylan?” 

“He goes to my school.” 

Bill looked at Auggie. “Adrielle must know Cal is a Tidelander, Auggie. She may have been behind the first attempt at drowning your sister.” 

“I’m not going to let her take my sister,” Auggie said. “She may run that little place like a queen, but she does not run things in the Bay.” 

“Keep telling yourself that,” Bill muttered. 

“So, what, you going to keep me locked up  _ more _ , I can’t live like a prisoner in my own home, Auggie! I won’t.” 

“That’s not what I’m saying, Cal. We just have to be careful, and you need to stay away from Dylan and L’Attente.” 

Cal rolled her eyes. “He’s in my  _ classes _ , Auggie. I’m not just going to pretend he doesn’t exist because he’s a Tidelander.” 

“Oh yes you will,” Auggie said. 

“You can’t tell me who to talk to!” 

“They hell I can’t!” Auggie slammed a hand on to the table. “I’m trying to keep you safe.” 

“Children,” Bill interrupted. “I think we need to take a break before someone says something they regret. Auggie, take a walk. Cal, you can either stand in the corner or go kneel in the living room.” 

Both McTeers eyed Bill with slightly widened eyes, but the older Dom was clearly  _ not _ in the mood for protest and the siblings quickly moved to follow his instructions. 

Cal opted for kneeling in the living room, because the corner felt too much like a punishment. 

Bill wiped a hand over his face and took a breath. He had a feeling Cal coming home would mean certain old secrets coming to light. He’d made a promise to their father though, to keep an eye on them if anything ever happened to him. “Pat,” Bill muttered, “you ought to be here.” He took a deep breath, biting back a sudden rush of grief. It was going to take everything he had to keep them safe now. 

***

“You went against my explicit instructions,” Adrielle said. “If I wanted Cal McTeer tested further, I would have said so, Leandra.” 

Leandra tried to look anywhere but Adrielle’s unforgiving face. “I’m sorry, Madame.” 

“You will be. Go to the punishment room, I’ll be with you shortly.” 

“Yes, Madame.” 

Adrielle watched her leave before turning to Lamar. “I want Cal McTeer brought to me. How is Dylan doing?” 

“He’s being charming,” Lamar replied. “He wants to be subtle.” 

Adrielle sighed. “Of course, we don’t want to overplay our hand.” She tapped one finger on her lip. “If he can’t charm into our hands in another week, take direct action.” 

“Yes, Madame.” 

Adrielle nodded dismissively and strode out of the room after Leandra. 

Lamar adjusted his shirt cuffs, set his shoulders and headed out of the house before Adrielle could start punishing Leandra. He didn’t need to hear it. Leandra had made her bed though, foolishly. 

He couldn’t protect all of the Tidelanders from their Queen. 

Particularly those who seemed so keen on self immolation. 

The only thing that had Lamar somewhat uncertain was this new obsession Adrielle had with Cal McTeer. Certainly her being a Tidelander was of interest, but there were other Tidelanders who did not live in L’Attente. He’d been one, once upon a time, before coming to this place after his own people had been killed. 

Orphans and refugees huddled together in their little enclave, waiting, but Lamar had seen more of the world than many of those here, and he knew there was no real reason Cal McTeer needed to come to L’Attente. He was certain Bill would teach her to use her gifts. 

No, there was something else going on with Adrielle, and he needed to find out what that was. 

Before Adrielle’s careful veneer shattered. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal takes siren lessons, gets into trouble and some old secrets come out.
> 
>  
> 
> Ware, spanking.

“You have to concentrate,” Bill said. “Think about what you want the water to do, see it happen in your mind.” 

Cal rolled her eyes. Siren lessons with Bill were repetitive, and she was getting a bit bored. Which, for lessons on controlling water with her mind, was sad. The idea of being a magical creature was exciting, when it wasn’t terrifying, and this was totally killing the excitement factor. 

Cal sighed. “Why aren’t you in L’Attente, Bill?” She pushed the cup of water she’d been trying to make move and looked at him. “I mean, are there other Tidelanders in the Bay that don’t live in L’Attente?” 

“You and me.” Bill sighed. “I was exiled many years ago.”

“How many years ago?” 

“Many.” Bill gave her a sharp look. “Concentrate on the water, Calliope.” He pushed the water back toward her. 

“But I’m  _ bored _ . Can’t we do something more fun?” 

“Cal, are you sassing Bill?” Auggie asked, walking into the house. 

“ _ No _ .” 

“If she gets bratty, feel free to spank her,” Auggie remarked, heading for the fridge. 

Cal flushed. “Jerk.” 

Auggie only smiled, grabbing a beer and popping off the top. “How are siren lessons going?” 

“Slow,” Bill replied. “Someone is having trouble concentrating.” 

“Maybe you’re just a shitty teacher.” 

“That’s one,” Auggie remarked nonchalantly. 

“Sorry,” Cal mumbled. 

“I have to go out tonight,” Auggie mentioned. “Can you stay with her, Bill?” 

“Sure. You’re taking Colton?” 

Auggie nodded. 

“Be careful.” 

“Smuggling business?” Cal asked, glancing at her brother. 

“None of yours,” he replied. 

She rolled her eyes. “I’m so sick of being told I don’t need to know things!” She slammed a hand on the table and stood, turning and heading up the stairs to her room and slamming the door behind her. 

Auggie flinched. “Well, she’s in a mood today.” 

“She’s been in a mood since she found out she wasn’t quite human. That’s the sort of thing that takes a while to get used to.” Bill shook his head. “She needs some time. She’s been through a lot.” 

“I know.” Auggie sipped at his beer. “And I know I can’t be too hard on her, she’s got a right to be angry.” 

“She does, but you have to know when it’s genuine anger and when she’s properly bratting to get attention. She sure doesn’t know yet when she is.” Bill pushed his hair back from her face. “Submissives and puberty is a hot mess without everything else she’s got going on.” 

“Puberty is fucking hell.” Auggie finished his beer. “I had enough trouble as a Dom with it. I’m still trying to get my head around her being a Tidelander.” 

“Your father didn’t want her to know. Thought she could grow up normal.” Bill licked his lips. “She deserves as normal as she can get. You can give her that.” 

“I hope so.” 

“First off, I can tell you straight that she’s definitely bratting today, and you’ll want to do something about it before she goes out a window or chucks another vase at your head.” 

Auggie sighed. “Course she is. I was serious earlier, by the way, you can spank her if you have to. You’ll be spending a lot of time with her on these lessons, and I trust you.” 

“I appreciate that, Auggie.” Bill smiled. “I hope to not have to dole out more than a few swats now and again.” 

“Have you met my sister?” Auggie raised his eyebrows. 

“Fair enough.” 

***

Cal cornered Dylan in the hall before classes started the next day, fixing him with a hard stare. “Did you know?” 

“Did I know what?” He cocked his head to one side. 

“That I’m--that I’m a  _ Tidelander _ ,” she whispered. 

“How did you not?” He put a hand on her arm. 

“I just didn’t.” She licked her lips. “Do you--can you show me how to do something?” 

“We control water, you must know. Women tend to be better at it.” He raised a hand to her lips. “But controlling water means controlling blood. Like bringing a flush to your lips.” 

Cal felt her lips warm as the blood rushed to them, darkening them. The color faded as quickly as it came, Dylan lowering his hand. 

“Just like that? How?” 

“I pictured what I wanted, and I made it so. You can heal, or hurt, with this gift. Is someone teaching you then?” 

“Bill.” She looked Dylan in the eyes. “Why isn’t he allowed in L’Attente?” 

“It’s before my time. I just know that the old queen died, Adrielle became queen and Bill was exiled.” 

“Oh.” 

“You could learn more, if you came to L’Attente.” 

Cal bit her lip, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “My brother would kill me.” 

“He doesn’t have to know.” Dylan smiled. “Who says we need to go to morning classes today?”

Cal couldn’t help smiling. “Yeah, who says?” 

“Really?” Dylan asked. 

“Really, let’s go.” 

Dylan grinned and took her hand. “You won’t regret this.” 

At that moment she certainly didn’t, though she was fair certain she might later when Auggie found out she’d skipped school. 

That, however, was a problem for future Calliope. 

***

The motorcycle was  _ fun,  _ the kind of fun Cal had been aching for. Fun without an adult watching her every move. Dylan took them through the battered old gates and down the tree lined gravel road. L’Attente was a strange sort of place, houses built from grounded boats and well loved shacks. At the heart of it, flanked by more trees, was a sprawling Victorian house painted in vibrant purples and blues. 

“Wow,” Cal slipped off her helmet. “This is--beautiful.” 

Dylan smiled. “I think so.” 

“Dylan,” someone whispered from a nearby bush. 

“Gilles?” Dylan frowned. “What?”

The boy emerged slightly, gesturing to Dylan. “Follow me.” 

Dylan glanced at Cal and shrugged, but followed Gilles. Cal took a moment, and followed Dylan. 

The boy led them to Lamar, hidden near one of the houseboats at the edge of the woods. 

“Dylan. Miss McTeer.” Lamar glanced at her. “This is unwise.” 

“Lamar, Madame said--” Dylan started. 

“Madame has secrets,” Lamar replied. 

“I don’t understand, I’m a Tidelander,” Cal said. “Coming here...it makes sense.” 

“I understand you want to know more of your heritage,” Lamar turned to her, “you need to speak to Bill about Genoveva. Ask him why Adrielle killed your father.” 

Cal went cold. “She killed my dad?” 

“I’m afraid so. Where his body went, I don’t know.” 

Cal turned on Dylan. “Did you know?” 

“No. I swear. I just thought--she said you were a Tidelander, so you belonged here.” Dylan swallowed. “I swear I didn’t know.” 

Cal shook her head. “I have to go.” 

“Take her home, Dylan.” Lamar squeezed the young man’s shoulder. “Avoid the main house now. Madame is out at the moment, she had business.” Madame too frequently had business lately. 

Dylan nodded sharply. 

Lamar turned to call, eyeing her carefully. “If you need anything, you can call me. I’ll help how I can, but you must not return to L’Attente. Not yet.”

“But--”

“We have to go,” Dylan said. 

Cal sighed, but nodded. She had a thousand questions, and rage building in her chest. If Adrielle had murdered her father, there wasn’t a force on earth that would stop her from meeting the woman. 

She had to know why. 

And then the bitch could die. 

***

Cal wasn’t really ready to go home. Dylan, perhaps sensing this, pulled off to a small beach, parking his bike in the gravel. Cal got off, set the helmet aside and stalked off toward the water. 

“I’m sorry about your dad,” Dylan said. He kept a bit of distance between them. 

“How could she do that?” Cal dropped down onto the sand, sinking her fingers into the slightly damp surface. “Why?” 

“I don’t know.” Dylan shook his head. “She told me that Pat just disappeared. I didn’t think to question her. She raised me. She was...like a mother to me.” He looked out over the water. “I don’t know why she would’ve done it. I thought she liked Pat.” 

“We have to talk to Bill.” Cal plucked a shell from the sand. “And Auggie. He’s going to be pissed.” 

“Understandably. Are you sure it’s a good idea to tell him now? He...you don’t know what he might do. Adrielle did something terrible, I know, but...I don’t want her dead.” 

“I do.” Cal glanced at Dylan. “Not yet though. I need to know why. I have to know why.” 

The sharp sound of a police car siren cut through the soft shush of waves against the beach. 

The teenagers exchanged glances and immediately rushed back to the bike--where a police car and Sergeant Murdoch were already waiting. 

“Truancy.” He shook his head. “Not so smart for a girl just of jail.” 

“Fuck you,” Cal spat. Murdoch would never be her favorite person, the asshole arrested her, after all. And there was something about him that had always rubbed her the wrong way. 

“Just walk away, Sergeant,” Dylan said. “This is Tidelander business. Not yours.” 

“Oh, is it now? I think it’s just two lovebirds skipping class to make out on the beach. Get your asses in my car.”

Cal sighed. 

“It is,” Dylan said firmly. “Buzz off.” 

Murdoch raised his eyebrows. 

Cal had a feeling this was going to end badly. 

***

Cal was right. 

While being a Tidelander came with strength, speed, and other nifty powers, there was still the major downside of being a recently classed submissive teenager. Dylan, for all that he was a Switch, was still not quite a match for Murdoch when he was putting on Dom for all he was worth. 

So while Dylan may have  _ wanted _ to bleed the man from his eyeballs, his instincts went into overdrive to protect a fellow submissive natured teen. Which was how they both ended up in the back of the patrol car, and then in the driveway of the McTeer residence. 

“I don’t know why you brought  _ me _ here,” Dylan muttered. 

“Figure Auggie would want the whole picture,” Murdoch replied. He got out of the car, opening the doors for the teenagers. 

Auggie, Colton and Bill were on the porch, waiting. 

Cal swallowed and seriously considered running for the hills, but the truth of their father’s murder was sitting on her shoulders like a vulture, and the guilt over going to L’Attente, skipping school--that was all roiling in her stomach like a stormy sea. Add it to the after effects of Murdoch’s Dom-ness, and she wasn’t in a state to be running anywhere. She felt awful, limbs heavy and tingling, head buzzing. 

She just wanted a hug. 

And beneath that, she wanted to kill someone. 

The layer beneath might have been grief, but she couldn’t be sure. 

“Calliope McTeer, you have some  _ serious _ explaining to do,” Auggie said. “What the hell were you doing with him?” 

Dylan, with all of the self-preservation instincts of a young man slightly infatuated and a submissive backing up a fellow submissive, leapt to her defense. “It was my idea,” he blurted out. 

Bill gave the young man a sharp look. “To do what, exactly?” 

“Skip school,” Cal said, interrupting Dylan before he could spill the whole damn mess. 

Auggie, well versed in his sister’s tactics, strode forward, looming over the pair. “To do what?” 

“Make out at the beach,” Cal lied. 

“Uh huh.” Auggie grabbed her by the waist and gave her six hard swats across the seat of her pants. He held onto her. “You want to try that again, young lady?”

Cal squirmed a bit, teenage rebellion rising. “I told you!” 

That earned her another six swats. “You tell me the truth right now, Calliope.” There was no threat, but the demand held no wiggle room.

Cal couldn’t help herself when she finally blurted out, “He took me to L’Attente.” 

“He what?” Auggie glanced up at Dylan. 

Dylan took a step back, but Bill was there to grab his arm. 

“I--yes, Sir. I did. But it was my idea, I talked her into it!” 

“I know better, no one talks Cal into anything.” Auggie let her up, but kept a firm grip. “I appreciate the loyalty though.” He eyed Dylan carefully. “You’re in a state, aren’t you?” 

Dylan swallowed. “I’ll be fine. Adrielle is my guardian.” 

“The hell you will,” Bill replied. “I’ll take care of him. Just get your girl.” Bill kept his grip on Dylan. “Come on, kid.” 

“I’m fine,” Dylan protested.

Bill shook his head. “I know full well what Adrielle will do to you, and I won’t have that on my conscience. I can’t promise it’ll be pleasant, but a smacking from me will at least be fair, eh?” 

Dylan took a moment. Everything he thought he’d been sure of yesterday had been upended in moments by Lamar’s casual assertion. And Dylan was sure it was the truth. Adrielle had killed Pat McTeer. She  _ was _ hiding things. Now, she apparently meant some harm to Cal. 

And he did know what she would do to him. 

“All right.” 

“Good, lad.” Bill squeezed his shoulder gently. “Can I use the living room, Auggie?” 

“Yeah, I’ll take Cal upstairs.” 

With that decided, they marched their respective teens off to their fates. Cal continued attempts to bargain with her brother, while Dylan seemed somewhat more resigned about the whole thing. 

Bill didn’t waste any time, he pulled Dylan over to the couch, sat and had the boy over his lap before he could make a squeak of protest. 

“Care to guess what you did wrong?” Bill asked. 

“I suppose skipping school to take Cal to L’Attente was a bad idea?” 

“And why was that a bad idea?” 

“Because...because Cal should’ve been in school?” 

Bill sighed, and started spanking. “You should’ve been in school too, young man.” In his opinion, all of the children in L’Attente should’ve been in school. They needed to see the real world, instead of being stuck inside their bubble. Isolation was made people afraid of them. Isolation made them afraid of other people. They’d had a queen who’d tried to change that. 

Adrielle killed her. 

“You should be taking the opportunity to learn, to see the world outside. Make friends. Be human. You need to start thinking for yourself, stop letting Adrielle’s whims dictate your future.” Bill’s lecture was clearly getting to the young Tidelander, as he whined and tried to wriggle free. “Oh no you don’t.” Bill grabbed Dylan’s waistband and tugged him back into position. “We’re not done here.” 

That ominous pronouncement delivered, Bill continued the punishment. After a quiet stretch, only broken by the snap of a hand against a jean clad backside, or a grunt from Dylan, Bill paused, and reached under Dylan to unbutton the boy’s jeans and pull them down. 

Dylan was too miserable at that point to protest and Bill began spanking again, the teenager’s cotton boxers much less protection than his jeans had been. Still though, his shoulders were tense, and his whole body seemed to be etched with guilt. 

“It’s okay, you can let go,” Bill whispered gently, letting go of Dylan’s waist to run a hand through his hair. “You don’t need to prove anything to me, just let go.” 

That gentleness broke through years of hard worn defenses. Dylan had learned young not to be vulnerable with Adrielle. Vulnerability would only be exploited, and while there were times when she was kind, times when she swore she loved him, there was a horrible doubt in him. That doubt had grown today. 

Dylan started to cry. 

“That’s it, now. Good boy. Good boy.”

“I’m--I’m sorry,” Dylan whispered. 

“I know, and I forgive you. It’s all right now. It’s all right.” As Bill comforted the young man, he couldn’t help thinking about the other children in L’Attente. The choices he’d made these past decades. The choices he’d made when Genoveva died. 

Adrielle might have made herself queen, but that didn’t mean he should have let her get away with it. 

He drew Dylan up into his arms. 

“It was Adrielle,” Dylan whispered. 

“What was?” 

He swallowed. “She had some of the girls grab Cal to see if she was one of us. Said she suspected it.” Dylan paused. “She killed Pat McTeer, too. She killed him.” He broke into fresh sobs. 

Bill took a deep breath, holding Dylan tight. “It’s all right, Dylan. I’ve got you.” He rubbed Dylan’s back gently. He remembered when Adrielle was just a little thing, one of three to survive the massacre of their people centuries ago. Adrielle, Genoveva, and himself. They survived, built a community up. They gathered their siblings from the sea. 

And through it all, Adrielle was like his little sister, someone to be protected. Genoveva was the love of his life. 

He thought everything would be that way, always. 

Until blood was spilled and Adrielle cast him out. 

And now there were broken children, and monsters, and L’Attente was filled with fear. 

No. He couldn’t just watch anymore. 

***

“What in the hell were you thinking?” Auggie wanted answers before he got down to business. He could hear a muffled yelp come from downstairs, so Bill had clearly already started on Dylan. “I told you to stay away from that kid. I told you to stay away from L’Attente. And I sure as hell shouldn’t have had to tell you not to skip school! What if the DAD decides I can’t handle you? What if they take you away from me? 

“Did you even think about anyone other than yourself?” 

Cal, who had now passed all sense of orientation over what she was feeling, when she was feeling it and how she should deal with those feelings, started to cry. Not pretty tears, or false tears, but body shaking, uncontrollable tears. The kind that left a person feeling hollow when they were through.  

Auggie, not realizing how close his sister was to an absolute meltdown, immediately pulled her into his arms. “I’ve got you, bug.” He took a deep breath. “I’m angry because I was scared. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

Cal clung to him, trying to organize herself into something coherent and failing. She just couldn’t. 

Auggie sat down on Cal’s bed, pulling her onto his lap and gently rocking her. He began to hum an old sea shanty their dad used to sing to them. 

Cal’s sobbing only got worse. “She killed Dad,” she gasped. “She killed him.” 

“Cal?” Auggie tipped her head up gently. “Who killed Dad?” 

“Adrielle. A man at L’Attente told me. Lamar. Said it wasn’t safe for me.” She hiccupped. “I’m so sorry, Auggie. I shouldn’t have gone. I don’t know why I did it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” 

Auggie went still for a moment before resuming his rocking. “We’ll get to the truth, I promise.” He banked his rage. “Once you’ve calmed a bit, we need to have a talk about you skipping school. Hear me?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Take your time, bug.” He rubbed her back. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

Though it would take everything in him not to go after Adrielle. He knew he couldn’t. Not yet. He needed to be patient. He needed to be smart about this. Adrielle had been playing a long game with him. 

He could play too. And she’d pay for using his family. She’d pay for everything she’d done. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A super short chapter, but I wanted to get an update posted. Next one will be longer.

Auggie left his well chastised sister sleeping soundly and headed out to the front porch where Bill was chatting quietly with Colton. Dylan was sleeping on the couch. Sleeping and still a bit red eyed, it was hard for Auggie to hold any kind of grudge against the kid. He’d just been doing as Adrielle asked. 

Even if it had been absolutely the wrong thing to do. 

“What’s going on?” Bill asked. 

“Adrielle...she killed my dad.” 

Colton blinked. “Fuck.” 

“Yeah.” Auggie raked a hand through his hair. “Cal was in a state. What’s up with Dylan? He staying?” 

“With me,” Bill said. “I can’t send him back to L’Attente, he’ll tell Adrielle what happened today, boy doesn’t have a poker face, and that witch can send the stableist Switch into a Dynamic shift with a snap of her fingers. It’s not safe for him to go back.” 

Colton shook his head. “So what are we doing then? Kill Adrielle?” 

“No,” Auggie said. “Not yet. I want to know why she killed Dad. I want to know what she has against Cal. ‘Til I know, I need her alive. And I need her to think everything is still good. Will keeping Dylan change that?” 

“We’ll have some time before she gets suspicious.” Bill rubbed his hands together absently. “When the kids are up, I’ve got a story to tell. Might explain some of Adrielle’s motivations, I’m not sure.” 

“All right.” Auggie nodded. “Until then, I think we could all use a beer.” 

“Hell, yes,” Colton agreed. 

“Hell, yes.” 

***

Cal padded downstairs a half hour later to find the adults in the kitchen sipping beer and Dylan was still on the couch, looking mildly confused. 

“Hey,” Cal waved at him. 

“Hey.” Dylan flashed a little smile. 

“Supper’s nearly done,” Auggie said. “You can chill with Dylan if you like.” 

Cal only just managed not to roll her eyes, made a noise in affirmative and headed straight to the couch, flopping down next to Dylan. 

“So what’s going on then?” 

“Dylan’s going to be staying with me,” Bill said. “Two of you are under orders now, no contact with L’Attente for the time being. We need to sort out a plan, and that means everyone needs to be on the same page. Clear?” 

Dylan was still submissive, and nodded in quick agreement. 

“Cal?” Auggie prompted. 

“Yes, Sir,” Cal replied with a pout. 

“Now, while we wait for food, it’s time for a story.” Bill took a breath before pulling a small locket from his pocket along with a photo. “The last queen was Genoveva. My wife.” Bill’s fingers trembled slightly as he opened the locket. “She and Adrielle and I--we were the only survivors when a group of men decided we were dangerous, and killed everyone they could find in L’Attente. We rebuilt. We gathered the children. We were close. 

“But things started to change. Adrielle became obsessed with revenge. She wanted to make sure what had happened, would never happen again. Genoveva wanted that too, but she wanted peace. Adrielle wants blood. She found a story of Tidelanders long past, and a horn that could call the ocean and the wrath of our mothers onto men. She found pieces of it, and became more radical.Genoveva wanted to destroy the pieces. 

“So Adrielle killed her.” 

Auggie pulled the photo toward him, eyeing the ceramic piece. “Dad had a piece like this, he found it in a shipment...right before he went missing.” 

Bill closed his eyes a moment. “That could explain why Adrielle killed him, for the piece.” 

Cal blinked. Right before her father disappeared, he’d given her a gift. A wooden box he’d asked her to keep a secret, even from her mother. She was pretty sure it was still in her room. She stood and hurried back upstairs, pushing things aside and grabbing the box. It was fairly large, an antique really. She headed back down the stairs with it, setting it on the dining room table and opening it while everyone watched. 

“Cal?” Auggie raised his eyebrows. 

“Dad gave me this for my birthday.” She tapped around the box. “He said it was important, told me to keep it hidden.” As she tapped, a hollow sound echoed back along one edge. “What if…” she managed to pry the board free. There was something wrapped in a bit of white cloth. Cal pulled it out, swallowing. She unwrapped it, revealing a shard of ceramic much like the one in the photo. 

Dylan moved toward the table, eyes locked on the shard. “She would kill everyone here if she knew this was here.” 

“We should destroy it,” Cal said. 

“Or, we could use it to draw her out,” Bill said. “This could be the key to getting her out of power.” 

“But who would replace her?” Dylan asked. “Bianca is ambitious, but she doesn’t have a power base. Leandra is too loyal to Adrielle.” 

“Before we do anything, we need to get someone on the inside,” Auggie said. “Is there anyone there you trust?” He glanced at Dylan. “Anyone we can trust?” 

“What about that guy, Lamar?” Cal added. 

“Lamar...Lamar could be swayed, I think.” Dylan rubbed a hand through his hair. “We can talk to him through Sergeant Murdoch. They’re kind of a thing.” 

Auggie blinked. “Really?” 

Dylan nodded. 

“Well, I think we should speak to Sergeant Murdoch then,” Bill said. 

Cal made a face. Today certainly hadn’t raised her opinion of the officer. Sure, maybe he was doing his job, but really, he’d just been an asshole. Or then again, maybe Lamar had called him to make sure she and Dylan headed back to town. 

“For now,” Auggie said. “For now we keep the piece hidden. We say nothing about it. We’ll talk to Lamar. Figure out the lay of the land at L’Attente. Pick our time to strike. Meanwhile, you two,” he pointed at Cal and Dylan, “you need to pretend everything is fine. Go to school. Be normal. Okay?” 

“And there will be someone at your school to keep an eye on you,” Bill remarked. “No more skipping school.” 

Cal sighed, but didn’t argue, she had a feeling she’d gotten off a little easy this time because of how upset she’d been. It hadn’t taken much of a smacking to release what guilt she did have. If she skipped school again, Auggie would probably murder her. 

Okay, perhaps he wouldn’t kill her, but her ass would certainly pay for it. 

The kitchen timer went off and Colton stood to grab whatever was cooking out of the oven. 

“Right then,” Bill said. “Food, and then Dylan, we’ll head to my boat and sort out things there.” 

Dylan nodded and took a seat. 

There were a lot of changes coming, a storm was coming to Orphelin Bay and they would need every hand on deck to weather it. 


End file.
